In 2020, Mental Health AmericaвЂ™s Online Screening Program saw a massive increase in people taking anxiety and depression screens, and the number of people screening with moderate to severe symptoms is higher than rates prior to COVID-19. There isnвЂ™t data yet on how the pandemic may be impacting rates or experiences of dissociation, but itвЂ™s likely that there is some connection. But sometimes this system disconnects us to a greater degree than is helpful and makes it more difficult to get through the day. This is built into human functioning our brains intentionally go into defense mode to protect us from situations that may otherwise be too overwhelming. Often, it is a subconscious way of coping by avoiding unpleasant and negative thoughts and feelings вЂ“ disconnecting from the world around you can alleviate the fear and anxiety youвЂ™re experiencing. Many different things can cause you to dissociate, like overwhelming stress, a traumatic event, or living with a mental health condition. If youвЂ™re experiencing this detachment for the first time or more often than usual, it may be because of the increased stress of living in todayвЂ™s world.

Many people вЂ“ up to 74 percent вЂ“ will experience dissociation at some point in their life. Some people have a dissociative disorder as their primary diagnosis, but dissociation is also associated with many other mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder. More intense dissociation may feel like you are observing yourself from outside of your body (depersonalization) or that the world is unreal (derealization). Mild dissociation often looks like daydreaming or zoning out вЂ“ like when youвЂ™re scrolling through social media and suddenly notice 4 hours have passed. Dissociating is a natural response to high stress situations (especially trauma) and exists on a spectrum. The circumstances that weвЂ™re in may trigger dissociation, a feeling like you are disconnected or detached from yourself and/or your surroundings. You may be more hopeful now that vaccines are being approved, but if you still feel like the future doesnвЂ™t quite exist, you arenвЂ™t alone. WeвЂ™ve spent months stuck in the present moment and unable to plan for the future because there is no way to predict what each day would bring. Many people say the duration of the pandemic has felt like a time warp вЂ“ days are blending together, and some months seem to fly by, while others feel never-ending. Routines and patterns are how we keep track of information and time, so being thrown into a situation that youвЂ™ve never been in before can be disorienting, especially for those with mental health conditions who feel anchored by structure. Many people have faced challenges that would have been unimaginable to them just one year ago and daily life looks nothing like it used to due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Depersonalization recovery